2026 Best General Materials Science Schools in the Far Western Region
General Materials Science is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best general materials science schools.
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Best Schools for General Materials Science in the Far Western Region
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the general materials science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in General Materials Science
University Of California Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in general materials science. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. About 93% of students finish within six years. About 111 general materials science degrees were awarded at University Of California Berkeley in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, general materials science degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley generally make around $70,847. University Of California Berkeley graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans.
See the full general materials science program report for University Of California Berkeley
Students looking for a strong general materials science program will find one at University Of California Santa Barbara, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, University Of California Santa Barbara is a very large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 83%. There were roughly 46 general materials science students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Santa Barbara in the most recent data year. General Materials Science graduates of University Of California Santa Barbara earn a median of $45,488 early in their careers. University Of California Santa Barbara graduates carry a median of $15,501 in student loans.
See the full general materials science program report for University Of California Santa Barbara
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Riverside one of the top schools for general materials science. University Of California Riverside is a very large public school located in the city of Riverside. University Of California Riverside graduates 76% of students within six years. There were roughly 13 general materials science students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Riverside in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general materials science degree from University Of California Riverside earn around $40,040 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,187.
More information about a degree in general materials science from University Of California Riverside
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
